The Gift of a Family
by Historyexplorer12
Summary: Hephaestion has just recovered from an illness, and Alexander gives him an odd but wonderful gift to celebrate his health. Might become a longer work! Disclaimer: Alex & Phai belong to history & Oliver Stone Warning: established m/m relationship, slash
1. Chapter 1

"It hurts, Alexander! It hurts!" I lay over my companion's struggling body in order to be close to him.

"I know you can win, Hephaestion, I know it! Defy Hades! Cast off Chiron's hands from your shoulders! For me! Please! For me!" as I pleaded with him, I openly wept. I screamed for the gods to help him. When Hephaestion began to yell aloud at the pain in his abdomen, curling in a vain effort to make the pain abate while still in his seated position, I took a great risk. I climbed abed with him and kissed him on the mouth. I broke away from him to find him gasping, but I knew it was not from the passion between us.

"Oh Gods, oh Gods, oh—Ahh!" he let his bare torso hang suspended in midair, shaking arms supporting him as he gripped the cotton bedclothes with bone-white fingers. I caught him as his muscles lost their supporting tension.

"More damp cloths!" I barked behind me.

"Alex—I cannot—"

"You can, and you will, I swear it. More blankets! We will sweat out your fever. Here we are," I received the heavy blankets from a servant and tucked them lovingly around Hephaestion.

"So warm…" he shivered.I swathed him in the heavy covers and took him on my shoulder, and sat at the edge of the bed patting his back gently. As he began to yell in my ear, I turned my head to face him, still rubbing his back. He coughed harshly several times and while I soothed him, let out a wet belch and threw up down my back and onto the bed sheets.

"Oh Gods…"

"Hush… it is all right Love. You are ill; it is to be expected." With a wail, he opened his mouth again and the contents of his stomach burned his throat and lips. I held his long earthly locks in a gentle hand and shushed in his ear.

"Alex—! Alexander!" he pleaded for me to hold him.

"I am here, Hephaestion. Relax, calm. It will be all right. Just relax. Yes," as I stroked his hair, his eyes began to close, but he fought with all his might to stay awake.

* * *

As soon as he was asleep, I left the room to tell Bagoas, my servant boy, not to wait for me tonight. For weeks, this had been the arrangement. I rarely left Hephaestion's side since he had become ill.

"Bagoas—" I froze immediately. The young Persian man was lying on top of the covers, arms circling his head as he leaned back on an expansive pillow, and his loincloth was drawn back as he faced me. Anger flooded my body.

"How dare you! Trying to entice me when you know my very soul is bonded to Hephaestion! Never come here again! How dare you!"

"Xander!" the distant call reached my ears and I turned toward the doorway.

"Hephaestion…" and I dashed from the room, calling out to him, "What is it? What is happening? Oh Phai," I went slowly to his bedside and tried to sooth the fears that were making his chest heave.

He would not be soothed, however, and turned away from me when I endeavored to kiss his cheek.

"You left me…" he said it so quietly that I had to lean forward to hear, "You were with him weren't you? Was he a pleasure, my King?"

"It is not like that—" he turned to glare at me.

"Already you have turned to another! I am dying, and you have already devoted yourself to him! You wretch! All these years, you have been playing with me! You swore we would remain chaste to one another, but it was just so he could have your bed!"

"Phai, you will scream yourself hoarse! Let me explain! Please!" I knelt at the bedside, pleading.

"Let me scream! Everyone in this palace deserves to know how unfaithful you are! Everyone in this kingdom—!" his hacking cough was awakened deep in his chest.

"All right, it is all right," I stood and rubbed his back, talking softly, "Listen to me, Bagoas is merely my servant. I just went to tell him not to run my nightly bath. And although I found him in my bed, I scolded him and he will be punished severely for what he has done. I am yours Phai. I have been since the day you watched me come into this world as a child and I will be until the end of my days…"

"How come…" he panted, "I cannot stay angry at you when you say sweet words?"

I smiled and bent down to him, "It is because you love me," before kissing him on the lips.

* * *

Within another month, Hephaestion was allowed to rise from bed. Being King, I _may_ have had something to do with this new development. He leaned heavily on me as I led him down the staircase to the throne room, where I claimed there was a surprise just for him. When we arrived, clapping from my other soldiers arose like thunder. I saw Bagoas, who I had had whipped for what he had done a month earlier, staring at me. When I glared at him, he hastily averted his gaze to the floor.

"My Phai, your surprise," I grandly announced as everyone parted.

"Oh, Zeus…" his hand at his mouth and tears in his eyes, he watched as the tiger came to him, gazing at him with golden eyes. He had always liked cats, and tigers were the grandest cats of all.

"He's beautiful…" he knelt down with my assistance, "It is a he, isn't it?" when I shrugged, he put his hand on the cat's chest and got it to lay on it's back for him. I stayed close by and helped him in his endeavor to check the animal's sex, "It's a boy!" he announced to everyone present, "I shall name him… Vasiliás! Come here, my sweet King," he encouraged the eight-month-old cub to roll over, "Where is his milk? He needs to feed."

"Milk for Vasiliás!" I yelled to the cook, who nodded once in understanding and then disappeared again.

Soon enough, a bottle of warm milk was procured, and pillows were brought out for Hephaestion to lean upon. Vasiliás lay upon Hephaestion's crossed legs, drinking vigorously from the small bottle in Hephaestion's hands. When the bottle was empty, Vasiliás began the most pitiful, sweet cry I have ever heard. Hephaestion pet his head as one of the servants took the bottle to be refilled. Vasiliás cried more loudly as the bottle was taken away, standing on Hephaestion's lap.

"He thinks it is his mother," Hephaestion understood as he pet the soft head and whispered reassurances in his ear.

"Ma! Ma!" our babe wept as we worked to sooth him.

"Your "Ma" will be back shortly, Vasiliás. Calm, shh… Look! There is your drink, ohh…" Hephaestion lowered his arm from where he had raised it to grab the milk.

"Ma…Ma…" Vasiliás calmed as he laid in Hephaestion's lap, on his back, belly exposed as he again greeted the welcome teat.

"He is beautiful, thank you, my sweet Alexander."

"Only the best for you, Love."

"You do realize he is like a newborn? He will need a lot of attention."

"I know," I dismissed it.

"Alexander," a tone of warning came into Hephaestion's voice.

"I do not care, Hephaestion! You love him, and therefore I love him also. I have set up a divan in our bedchamber just for him. He can cry whenever he likes, we will hear him."

I began to regret this last statement, when, at four in the morning, Vasiliás cried from his bed. Hephaestion was immediately by his side. Vasiliás cried again, his hind legs set at an odd angle.

"He has to go," Hephaestion observed.

"I thought you liked him!" I whined, my face still to my pillow.

"Not that, Alexander! His bladder is full!" at that, I jumped out of bed.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. He cannot go here."

"I do not think he can go at all without our help. He is obviously an orphan."

"How did you know?"

"Litters can range from three to seven cubs. Tigresses never only have one."

"All right, how do you propose we handle this?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"In the bath. It will give him room to move. Boy!" a page ran over as we left our rooms, "Have a bowl of warm water and a clean cloth be brought to my private bath."

"Yes, General!" and he scurried off to his task.

* * *

"Ma! Ma!" our cub cried as Hephaestion gently washed Vasiliás' hindquarters and between his legs.

"I know, my sweet King. I know it hurts," Hephaestion talked soothingly as he worked.

Vasiliás began to squat and Hephaestion withdrew his arm from beneath him, setting a hand on his rump to help him into position. With the tinkle of broken glass, Vasiliás began to urinate, which in turn helped him to move his bowels.

"Does that feel so much better?" Hephaestion questioned him.

He began to try and lick himself clean.

"Oh, no, no, my sweet King, you will get a bath. Alexander, turn on the water."

* * *

I had never heard a cat scream; I cannot say that anymore. Vasiliás cried and screamed as Hephaestion carefully and lovingly washed him as I endeavored to hold onto his slippery, small body.

"It is all right, Vasiliás. Hush…" I attempted to calm him, "You are almost finished…"

"And—done," Hephaestion turned off the water. Vasiliás stood looking at him with sad eyes, shivering with the cold. He began his ritual of calling out to us.

"Oh, my beautiful boy, no need for tears. Hush… Patéras has you now. Hush… Alexander, I am still weak, can you lift him?"

I lifted him and wrapped him in warm bath linens, placing him in Hephaestion's arms. He began to mew again as I bent to help Hephaestion rub him dry.

"Yes… my sweet King…" Hephastion soothed. It seems, in hindsight, that soothing was not needed. Instead, Vasiliás became fascinated with my long hair, and went to touch it.

"Do you like my hair? Yes? Come here, ángelos. Oh—!" a tiny claw got snagged in one of my curls. After Hephaestion helped me to get free, I held our child to my chest, my heartbeat and the late hour soothing him to lay his head upon my breast and fall to sleep contently.

"He is sweet…" I smiled softly at my one love.

"I love him. And you," Hephaestion kissed my temple, "Thank you so much."

"You are most welcome. Shall we go back to bed, my love?"

"I thought you would never ask," Hephaestion yawned behind a hand.

"Come, my little prince," I picked up a sleepy tiger cub, and Hephaestion scratched him lovingly on the head.

Soon, we were all in bed, waiting on a new day to arrive.

**Translations: **

**Vasiliás= King**

**Patéras= Father**

**I used Google Translate for the translations, so I am sorry if they are wrong!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: implied sex. Enjoy!**

Alexander and Hephaestion were woken again and six in the morning, only to see a cub trying to nuzzle them apart and mewling. They both groaned and tried to turn over to go back to sleep, but like any cat, Vasiliás began to paw their bare chests, trying to get milk.

"Ahh!" Alexander shot up in bed at this feeling, his "child's" claws pricking his skin and causing a thin stream of blood to flow from his nipple.

Hephaestion had been laughing at his child's antics, but at the sight of blood against Alexander's pale skin, he hurried to make a bottle of milk and settle the tiger cub on his own couch with a pillow supporting the bottle before turning back to his lover.

"Ow..." Alexander touched the darker skin around his nipple, where the cuts were.

"Let me see," taking the bedsheet, Hephaestion wiped away the blood, tearing a small bandage and pressed it to Alexander's skin. Alexander hissed at the sting but said nothing.

"Forgive me, Love," Hephaestion winced in sympathy, "The scratches are not so bad. You will be fine."

"I will live?" Alexander asked dramatically, pain gone now and mischievious smile on his lips and a light in his eye.

Hephaestion smiled at his lover's game and kissed him quickly, "You are unbelievable, Xander. I love you."

Alexander's grin widened, "I know you do."

Hephaestion cocked his head, a small smile forming on his own lips.

"You rascal."

Vasiliás growled lowly at something on the floor causing both men to laugh before Alexander found Hephaestion's arms around him and his lips captured by a familiar mouth. Alexander laid back willingly, both his and Hephaestion forgetting about the cub on the floor. Said cub just sat quietly, watching as his two fathers prowled, teased, and finally caught their willing prey.


	3. Chapter 3

Alexander half sat up as Hephaestion collapsed beside him, both of them panting. After a few minutes Alexander sat up fully only to see Vasiliás staring at them and mewing.

"Phai, we're being watched..." he whispered, beginning the game.

"By who?" sensing his lover's playful mood, Hephaestion played along.

"A dangerous jungle cat."

"Oh really?" Hephaestion peeked at Vasiliás, who yawned hugely, bored, "He is no threat, my lion. It is I who am the real threat..."

"If I am your lion, you are my Hercules. Slay me..." Alexander laid back again, the embers in his eyes reigniting.

"Gladly," Hephaestion accepted the challenge.

* * *

It wasn't long until they relaxed again, dazed. It was all for the best however, as their child began to wake up and cry for his milk.

"I've got him," Hephaestion got up from the bed and slipped a towel around his waist, going to pick up their child and shushing him as he told Alexander to ready his milk.

Hungry _right now_, Vasiliás squirmed in Hephaestion's arms as the man sat down before pawing at his chest, trying to draw milk down. Hephaestion gave a surprised shout as Vasiliás finally took his little pink tongue and licked Hephaestion's nipple tentatively. After realizing there was no threat, he set his lips on it and began to suck, despite there being no milk.

"King, there is no milk in there for you," Hephaestion told him with a smile, but did not push him away.

"Here we- What's this?" Alexander grinned.

"The babe's starving."

"He must be," Alexander knelt on his knees beside the divan and pet the cub between the ear, earning a content purr, "Poor babe."

He sprinkled milk onto Vasiliás' nose to get him to pull away from Hephaestion and take the bottle into his mouth. He sucked vigorously, so vigorously in fact that he almost pulled the bottle out of Alexander's hands.

"Whoa, Babe, let Papa get a grip on it," Alexander chuckled.

Vasiliás finally let go, and burped sweetly.

"Oh!" Alexander rubbed the cub's back, "Good boy! Such a good boy! Do you want more?" the animal turned away, toward Hephaestion.

"Ma, Ma," he called.

"Come, my sweet boy. Oh yes," Vasiliás gave a happy purr, curling into Hephaestion's chest and falling back to sleep.

"Our boy is growing," Alexander observed.

"That he is, Xander, that he is."


End file.
